Get Content; and a self imposed target ban

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing we will be content with that.” 1 Timothy 6:6-8

Sometime after Paisley was born I became discontent. Maybe I was just bored, or maybe I was actually unhappy, but I started making frequent visits to target. It became an escape. Then I added in Marshalls – that place has a ton of cute stuff, it’s dangerous. I’m definitely a target addict, we don’t go near as much as we did when we lived in Hernando Beach – maybe because Paisley is older now, and it is definitely more difficult to get her to cooperate now than a year ago.. or maybe because I’ve realized that Target isn’t a great place for me to go hang out, so I’ve tried to cut back. It’s a little bit of both, I suppose.

I’ve come to realize that I “crave” going to target or marshalls or anywhere really when I’m stressed out or feeling sad. I should probably say that I don’t go in & spend hundreds of dollars. I am still relatively cautious about our budget, but I do buy little things that we don’t really need. Pens, pajamas, little toys for Paisley, books, a movie. Random crap, but it adds up over time, and I leave feeling okay – but as soon as I’m home, whatever feelings I was feeling are back.

I don’t think my feelings of discontentment are because we can’t keep up with the Jones’ – I don’t really want the latest and greatest thing. Sure, I want my house to be nice, but I’m not much of a decorator, so I rarely buy home decor. Honestly, at this point in my life, i’d sell this house and live in a travel trailer. (This is my current life goal). I’m sick of having such a big house, it makes me crazy. But that’s a post for another day.

The author of Living Well Spending Less issues a challenge, “Think about where you can actively eliminate temptation in your life. What stores can you stay out of? What magazines, television shows, or websites can you turn off or avoid? Develop a concrete plan for keeping temptation at bay.”